TIL: for mechanical valves, ASA + VKA is better than VKA alone
A systematic review1 showed that adding an antiplatelet agent (e.g. aspirin) to a vitamin K antagonist decreased the risk of both a...
TIL: TZDs worsen heart failure in T2DM
Thiazolidinediones (the -glitazones) have a known side effect of worsening heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This...
TIL: Signs of cirrhosis - the hands
JAMA released this meta-analysis1 in 2012 detailing what physical exam and laboratory findings were associated with cirrhosis (end-stage...
TIL: an approach to thrombocytopenia
My senior shared the Curbsider's (internal medicine podcast) approach to thrombocytopenia today. https://thecurbsiders.com/podcast/167-cb...
TIL: Some facts about bedbugs
There was a great review on bedbugs that came out of the New England Journal of Medicine1. Bed bugs can survive on a human host for 4-5...
TIL: steroids cause mostly post-prandial hyperglycemia
Corticosteroids are associated with hyperglycemia1. This effect is most significant in the post-prandial time period. 1. Tamez-Pérez,...
TIL: Bubble studies with late bubbles -> intrapulmonary shunt
When a bubble study is performed during a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), early bubbles suggest an intracardiac shunt1, which makes...
TIL: Loop diuretics worsen metabolic alkalosis
Loop diuretics can worsen metabolic alkalosis mainly because they increase secretion of chloride, which draws H+ into the urine and...